Known end user communication devices in the telecommunications field, commonly referred to as user equipment, terminals, user agents, etc., are equipped to handle multiple types of communication media, such a device shall be referred to herein as a multimedia terminal (MMT). Conversely, a terminal which is equipped to handle only one type of media shall be referred to herein as a single media terminal (SMT), e.g., an ordinary telephone equipped to handle only voice communications, or a simple pager equipped to handle only text messages.
Regarding MMTs, wireless or mobile telephones, for example, are known which accommodate voice communications as well as text and static image media. Other known mobile MMTs that accommodate the transmission and/or reception of various combinations of audio, image, video and/or text media include wireless enabled personal digital assistants, wireless enabled notebook or laptop computers, etc. Additionally, line-based MMTs are also known, such as, suitably equipped general purpose computers (e.g., desktops) and/or video phones.
The text communications supported by many MMTs include, short message service (SMS), instant and/or text messaging, etc. Known protocols have been developed to manage and/or route these text communications over PSDNs, e.g., the Internet and the like. These networks have also been adapted and/or suitable protocols have been developed to manage and/or route packetized voice communications as well, e.g., via Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephony. Similarly, known techniques and/or systems have been developed to transport image and video media over PSDNs. As is known in the art, a multimedia call session conducted over a PSDN includes the exchange of communications in a plurality of different media forms between the parties to the multimedia call session.
Push-to-talk (PTT) operation of terminals (in particular mobile terminals) has also been found useful in the telecommunications field. PPT service is a half-duplex mode of communication. Commonly, many communications are simultaneously bi-directional, also referred to as full-duplex, e.g., in a full-duplex two party voice call session, both parties can speak and hear each other at the same time. In contrast, half-duplex means that communications occur in only one direction at a time, e.g., only one party in a call session can be transmitting at a given time. Walkie-talkies, e.g., usually operate using a half-duplex mode of communication.
Typically, in a PTT operational mode, to control which party in a call session has transmission rights (referred to herein as “having the floor”), the user pushes or presses a PTT button while transmitting and then releases it when they are done. Once the current party having the floor releases their PTT button, another user may then push or press their PTT button to gain the floor (i.e., obtain transmission rights) and respond. In this way, it is known in which direction communications are to travel.
Because half-duplex sessions involve transport of communications in only one given direction at a particular time, as compared to full-duplex sessions which must support simultaneous bi-directional transport of communications, bandwidth conservation is advantageously realized. Accordingly, it has been deemed beneficial to extend PTT type services to multimedia call sessions, and particularly, to multimedia conference call sessions, conducted over a PSDN. However, heretofore, such an extension has not been suitably developed. For example, a problem can arise when, at a given time, a first party in a multimedia call session desires to have control of the floor or transmission rights with respect to a first media type and not a second media type, while a second party desires to have control of the floor with respect to the second media type and not the first media type. That is to say, no technique or system has been previously developed which supports individual or independent media specific floor controls for half-duplex multimedia call sessions.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved telecommunications method and/or system which overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.